Statuesque Stud
by Jaretha
Summary: The first of my new line of Slayers Fairy Tales! Sleeping Beauty, with a very Slayers twist.


~~ You all know damned well that if I actually owned Slayers I'd be in a hot tub with a chimera and a mazoku!!  
  
~~This is a Sleeping Beauty story with a Slayers kick. Don't hurt me, please!! *ducks from tomatoes being thrown for not using her own storyline* Sorry, sorry, sorry!!!  
  
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Once upon a time there was a beautiful kingdom far to the west, ruled by King Rezo and his Queen, Eris. The kingdom knew happiness with no bounds, and all the people lived happily and prospered. But the royal couple did not share the joy of their subjects, for the perfect couple was terribly flawed: they had no children.  
  
Many long and lonely years passed before, finally, after years of yearning, a son was born to the royal leaders. The entire kingdom joined their rulers in celebration over the new princeling, whom King Rezo named Zelgadis. The boy was strong for his age, and already showed great promise in wielding shamanic powers like his mother, who was a shamaness of white magic. He was the perfectly formed, a strong, handsome boy with a few tufts of dark purple hair like his father. So proud was the royal father, in fact, that a grand celebration was announced, to allow the nobles of neighboring kingdoms, as well as the common folk, to meet their new prince. No sooner was the festival announced then the crowds started rushing in to see the child.  
  
Among them was the newly crowned Queen of a nearby kingdom, Luna Inverse. She came carrying her tiny infant sister, Lina, in her arms. Born just a few days after Prince Zelgadis, little Lina was already a handful with wild red hair and sparkling ruby eyes. She and her older sister were newly orphaned after the tragic death of their parents in a coach accident, and Luna was now Queen of their city. The girl, barely over eighteen, had taken it upon herself to raise her little sister to the best of her ability, a fact much smiled on by King Rezo and Queen Eris.  
  
A trumpet heralded the arrival of late guests, and the King and Queen turned eagerly to greet their most important and exotic guests.  
  
"Announcing the Three Good Sorceresses!" a page called out. "Lady Filia, Lady Sylphiel, and Lady Amelia!"  
  
The crowd grew hushed with awe as three shafts of colored light appeared in the middle of the great chamber. Lady Filia, the oldest and most powerful of the three, appeared first, stepping regally from a shaft of golden light. The crowd gasped as the light convalesced around her, forming long golden hair and pure white robes around the woman's slender body. She opened huge golden eyes and smiled at the people. Behind her, from a pillar of blue light, stepped the gentle Lady Sylphiel. She was the sweetest, most soft-spoken, and kindest of the trio, and it showed in her twinkling blue eyes. The light around her faded into blue highlights in her dark blue robes and hair. She bowed gracefully to the assembled masses, flashing a quick, shy smile. Following her was Lady Amelia, who leapt from a pillar of pink light. The light flowed around her like rivers of color to become the pink ribbons at her wrists and the hem of her cream colored robes. Amelia, being the youngest and most charismatic of the trio, struck a heroic pose for the people, who clapped and cheered when she waved.  
  
The King and Queen stepped forward quickly to clasp hands with the three beings, who smiled and curtsied prettily to the royalty before hurrying over to the cradle. They exclaimed over the Prince's cuteness and each vowed that he was the prettiest baby they had ever seen. After a good ten minutes of gushing, Lady Filia turned to the King and Queen, a bright smile on her face.  
  
"Your Highnesses," she began, her blue eyes tinkling, "your son is simply perfect. We hope you will receive a gift from each of us on behalf of your son."  
  
Queen Eris nodded happily. It was well known throughout the land that the Three Good Sorceresses were beings of great power and goodness, and they often appeared at births and other important days to bestow great gifts on people. "Any gifts given by you are welcome," she replied graciously, waving a hand towards the prince's cradle.  
  
Lady Filia approached the cradle first, raising her delicate hands over the opening. Golden light showered down upon the tiny prince, who giggled and tried to bat at the tiny sparkles that rained from the golden light. "To this tiny prince, I grant the power of Bravery. May he always be able to challenge evil and uphold the laws of his land."  
  
The gathering crowd applauded softly as the light faded around the prince, and Lady Filia stepped back, tossing her hair over one shoulder. Lady Sylphiel was next, placing one hand on the tiny prince's forehead. His lavender eyes slid closed and he cooed up at the Sorceress. She smiled and began to speak as her hand began to glow with a blue shimmer, which in turn flowed into the Prince's forehead. "To this precious prince, I grant the power of Intelligence. May he always find the correct path and not be clouded by ignorance."  
  
The applause was slightly louder this time, for this was a rare gift indeed. The crowd now knew that the prince would be both wise and strong. These were both wonderful qualities in a ruler, and no one was displeased with a smart King. They grew hushed as the youngest Sorceress, Amelia, stepped up towards the cradle. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, glancing back at her two partners, who nodded encouragingly. She sighed and raised one hand over the cradle. "To this sweet prince, I grant. . ."  
  
But Amelia's sentence was cut off as the great doors of the audience chamber were thrown open and a great gust of wind tore through the room. The ladies all cried out in terror, but the Three Good Sorceresses all huddled around the cradle, barring the prince from the wind, which they knew to be evil. And sure enough, a black flame suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, flickering wickedly and stealing all the light from the candles in the room.  
  
It grew into a great inferno suddenly, which vanished as a tall man in a flowing purple cape stepped into existence. He was tall, with shoulder length purple hair and an annoying smirk on his face. His purple cloak fastened over his chest with a great silver brooch with three red stones which seemed to flicker with inner fire. The rest of his garb was simple, a beige tunic over black traveling pants, but everyone in the room backed up from him because evil flowed from his very skin.  
  
Lady Filia stepped forward, her blue eyes blazing. "Xellos! What are you doing here, you filthy monster?"  
  
Xellos's eyes opened a slit to twinkle almost merrily at Filia's outburst. "Well, I came to see if there really was a party, and that my invitation had gotten lost in the mail. Of course, that IS what happened, right, your majesties?"  
  
The King and Queen shared a terrified glance, and were saved from either confirming or denying the fact by Amelia's sharp tongue. "You weren't wanted! Evil beings that follow chaos are not held in high regard by those who live with justice in their hearts!"  
  
Xellos cringed at her tone, which was full of ritchous piety and goodness. It made him sick to his stomach. "Well, then I suppose that I should just travel on my way then."  
  
Queen Eris and her husband clasped hands tightly as she stammered, "Then. . . you're not angry with is, Lord Xellos?"  
  
Xellos turned, his smirk growing into a genuine smile. "Oh of course not, my lady. In fact, I'll give a gift to the little prince too, just to show my true feelings on the matter."  
  
The Sorceresses converged on the cradle, trying their best to cover the baby in their goodness. Xellos laughed and grasped a black wood staff, tipped with a red jewel like the ones on his brooch. The staff seemed to appear from out of nowhere, and several ladies fainted from fear.  
  
"The little Prince will certainly be strong and wise," Xellos intoned, his deep voice echoing through the Great Hall, "and all shall love him as a good man. However, people will flee before his face and body, and think him a monster, for I bestow the curse of the Chimera upon him! On the evening of his eighteenth birthday, the Prince shall swallow the stone of a peach, and turn into a statue forever!"  
  
The Three Good Sorceresses all gasped in outrage as the Prince's body began to glow a sickly green and blue. Xellos ignored them, continuing on. "I invoke the great evils of the world to fuse themselves to the skin and fibers of this boy! Golem! Demon! Fuse yourselves with his human self and shape his form to your will!"  
  
Xellos cackled as the sick light around Prince Zelgadis tightened and seeped into his skin. Small blue stones appeared on his body, and his skin turned from a healthy pink to a pale blue. His soft hair turned hard and brittle, hardening into lavender wires as the boy cried out, tears running down his cheeks. Queen Eris rushed to the cradle, snatching up her son and hugging him tightly to her breast, shivering.  
  
The Three Good Sorceresses flew at Xellos, each throwing the most powerful spell she could think of at him, but he just laughed and vanished in a fizzy rift of black air. The spells bounced harmlessly off the rift and disappeared. The crowd exploded into talking, most of it afraid for their tiny prince. Lady Filia turned to the King and Queen, who were both trying to touch the boy and see exactly what had happened to him. She sighed heavily and pushed little Lady Amelia forward.  
  
The royal couple turned to her hopefully. "Can you undo this spell, Lady Amelia?" they both asked, light filling their eyes again.  
  
"Oh, goodness no, your majesties," she replied, her voice quaking. "Xellos is far too powerful for me to break one of his spells. But maybe I can help. Give him here."  
  
Queen Eris handed the little baby to Amelia, who drew back the blanket to look at his face. She blushed bright crimson and stammered, "Oh, he's so CUTE this way!"  
  
"He is NOT CUTE!" Xellos cried, appearing beside Amelia and grabbing the baby. He turned the baby around and around, looking him over. "He's a chimera, an ugly little chimera baby!"  
  
"He's adorable!" Amelia yelled back, snatching the baby back from him. "And I'm going to prove it!"  
  
"Handsome prince," she cooed softly, laying a hand across the chest of the baby, "should you ever swallow a peach's pit, I will not let you die. Sleep, instead, and take this gift, a promise that a kiss from your true love shall set you free from your statuesque form."  
  
Xellos stared at the little girl holding the baby and just vanished with a disgusted look on his face. The entire crowd converged on Amelia after she had set the baby back in his mother's arms. Everyone wanted to thank her and ask if she were the true love she meant. She blushed, looking at the baby, and whispered, "Maybe."  
  
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End file.
